Bitcoin followed the collapse of the precious metals market on Friday, plunging nearly $9K amidst rising geopolitical tensions.

Crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) extended their losing streak as bitcoin, ether, and solana bled heavily once again, while XRP stood out as the lone bright spot. The divergence highlighted selective positioning amid a deeply risk-off market.

Bitcoin slid toward $78,000 as heavy selling, institutional outflows and a risk-off macro backdrop intensified a sharp intraday breakdown, leaving the market firmly under bearish control and searching for a near-term floor.

XRP slid sharply to fresh session lows as relentless selling broke key support, deepening a multi-day downtrend and leaving price vulnerable amid rising global uncertainty and a risk-off market tone.

Lawmakers push closer to market-structure rules, exchange-traded funds (ETF) flows stall, Arthur Hayes eyes central bank liquidity, Tom Lee flags metals-to- crypto rotation, and banks face $500 billion run risk in this Week in Review.

Bitcoin mining took a direct hit from January’s U.S. winter storm, with Cryptoquant data showing sharp declines in hashrate, production, and miner revenue across the network.

Following the passage of the virtual asset service providers (VASP) Act (Act 1154), the Bank of Ghana has launched the National Virtual Assets Literacy Initiative.

Gold surged to a record $5,594 per ounce before plunging 10% in a sudden flash crash, erasing trillions in value and sparking bubble concerns. Analysts note that gold is benefiting from safe‑haven demand and central bank buying, while bitcoin has behaved more like a risk asset tied to political and equity market dynamics.

Gold’s rally has already begun to reverse, shifting market focus from whether prices would decline to how deep and prolonged the pullback could become. Ark Invest CEO Cathie Wood has argued that gold reached a late-cycle extreme, and the metal’s recent drop has reinforced concerns that the correction may extend beyond a short-term dip.

U.S. financial regulators are signaling a breakthrough in crypto oversight, moving toward coordinated supervision as Congress advances market structure legislation, a shift aimed at ending fragmented rules and bringing clarity to fast-growing digital asset markets.

The U.S. government has secured ownership of more than $400 million tied to the Helix darknet crypto mixer, closing a long-running enforcement case targeting large-scale laundering of illicit bitcoin through hidden online markets.

Ripple-powered payments are moving real U.S. dollars today, as a crypto brokerage activates live infrastructure that cuts bank transfer friction and puts XRP utility into daily financial operations, signaling tangible momentum beyond speculation.

Binance is reinforcing crypto’s safety net by shifting its $1 billion SAFU fund into bitcoin, framing BTC as the long-term anchor for user protection, transparency, and balance-sheet resilience amid market stress.

Talos raises an additional $45 million in a Series B extension, bringing total Series B to $150 million at a roughly $1.5 billion post‑money valuation.

Gold, silver, and the whole metals market have experienced an unprecedented session, as prices have crumbled down in what analysts qualified as one of the worst days for silver and gold since 1921, wiping close to $7 trillion in market capitalization.